‘Community cohesion’ is widely regarded as the ‘new’ framework governing race relations policy in the UK. It emerged in government discourse following the civil disturbances that occurred in several northern UK towns in 2001, and has rapidly become absorbed within local government and related organizations to replace previous attempts of multiculturalism. This paper examines several key characteristics of this agenda. In particular, I explore ‘slippages’ in language within and around discourses of ‘community cohesion’. I demonstrate how ‘community’ is central to the community cohesion agenda, and suggest that whilst the concept of ‘community’ is highly ambiguous, it has continuing resonance in New Labour policymaking. The concept of ‘community’ has particular implications for processes of race and gender. Talking about ‘communities’ enables for language to become deracialized, whilst at the same time the language of community cohesion draws upon earlier discourses of assimilation through notions of ‘integration’. The community cohesion agenda is also gendered, and as suggested in this paper, has specific implications for women and the construction of ‘cultures’.
Alexander, C. (2004) ‘Imagining the Asian Gang: Ethnicity, Masculinity and Youth after “the Riots”’ , Critical Social Policy24(4): 526-549 .
2.
Amin, A. (2002) Ethnicity and the Multicultural City: Living with Diversity. Report for the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions and the ESRC Cities Initiative.
3.
Anderson, B. (1983) Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso .
4.
Atkinson, R. (2003) ‘Addressing Urban Social Exclusion through Community Involvement in Regeneration’, pp. 101-120 in R. Imrie and M. Raco (eds) Urban Renaissance? New Labour, Community and Urban Policy. Bristol: The Policy Press .
5.
Bauman, Z. (2001) Community: Seeking Safety in an Insecure World. Cambridge: Polity Press .
6.
Bentley, T. , McCarthy, H. and Mean, M. (2003) Inside Out: Rethinking Inclusive Communities. London: Demos/Barrow Cadbury Trust [http://www.demos.co.uk/catalogue/insideout/].
7.
Berkeley, R. (2002) ‘Foreword’ , pp. v-x in Cohesion, Community and Citizenship , Proceedings of a Runnymede Conference. London: Runnymede.
8.
Bunting, M. (2005) ‘Blame it on the Asians,’Guardian 14 February.
9.
Burnett, J. and Whyte, T. (2004) ‘New Labour’s New Racism’, Comment, Institute of Race Relations, 6 October [http://www.irr.org.uk/2004/october/ak000008.html].
10.
CFMEB (2000) The Future of Multi-ethnic Britain: The Parekh Report. London: Profile Books for the Runnymede Trust .
11.
Charles, N . and Hintjens, H . (eds) (1998) Gender, Ethnicity and Political Ideologies. London and New York: Routledge .
12.
Crow, G. and Allan, G. (1994) Community Life - An Introduction to Local Social Relations. New York and London: Harvester Wheatsheaf .
13.
Deacon, A. (2000) ‘CAVA and the Moral Reordering of Welfare under New Labour’ , Workshop Paper No. 10, prepared for Workshop Three Analysing Policy Change and Implementation, 11 February. ESRC Research Group on Care, Values, and the Future of Welfare, University of Leeds.
14.
Delanty, G. (2003) Community. London and New York: Routledge .
15.
Enloe, C. (1989) Making Feminist Sense of International Politics: Bananas, Beaches, Bases. London: Pandora Press .
16.
Fairclough, N. (2000) New Labour, New Language. London and New York: Routledge .
17.
Forrest, R. and Kearns, A. (2001) ‘Social Cohesion, Social Capital and theNeighbourhood’ , Urban Studies38(12): 2125-2143 .
18.
Gedalof, I. (forthcoming) ‘Unhomely Homes: Women, Family and Belonging in the UK’ , Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.
19.
Hall, S. (2000) ‘The Multicultural Question’, pp. 209-241 in B. Hesse (ed.) Un/settled Multiculturalisms. London: Zed Press .
20.
Home Office (2001a) Community Cohesion: A Report of the Independent Review Team (chaired by Ted Cantle). London: HMSO .
21.
Home Office (2001b) Building Cohesive Communities: A Report of the Ministerial Group on Public Order and Community Cohesion (chaired by John Denham). London: HMSO .
22.
Home Office (2002) Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain. London: The Stationery Office .
23.
Home Office (2005a) Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs4/race_improving_opport.pdf].
24.
Home Office (2005b) Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society, Parliamentary Labour Party Briefing, 19 January [http://www.gmb.org.uk/shared_asp_files/uploadedfiles/%257B8ACF999B-A05C-4699-9E55-782EB7078CCE%257D_equality%2520strategy.pdf].
25.
House of Commons ODPM (2004) Social Cohesion, Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Committee, Sixth Report of Session 2003-04, Vol. I, 14 May. London: The Stationery Office .
26.
Human Rights Act 1998. London: The Stationery Office.
27.
Jordan, B. (1998) The New Politics of Welfare: Social Justice in a Global Context. London: SAGE .
28.
Imrie, R. and Raco, M. (2003) ‘Community and the Changing Nature of Urban Policy’, pp. 3-36 in R. Imrie and M. Raco (eds) Urban Renaissance? New Labour, Community and Urban Policy. Bristol: The Policy Press .
29.
Kearns, A. (2003) ‘Social Capital, Regeneration and Urban Policy’, pp. 37-60 in R. Imrie and M. Raco (eds) Urban Renaissance? New Labour, Community and Urban Policy. Bristol: The Policy Press .
30.
Kundnani, A. (2005) ‘The Politics of a Phoney Britishness’ , Guardian, 21 January.
31.
Levitas, R. (2000) ‘Community, Utopia and New Labour’ , Local Economy15(3): 188-197 .
32.
Lewis, G. (2005) ‘Welcome to the Margins: Diversity, Tolerance, and Policies of Exclusion,’Ethnic and Racial Studies28(3): 536-558 .
33.
Lewis, G. and Neal, S. (2005) ‘Introduction: Contemporary Political Contexts, Changing Terrains and Revisited Discourses’ , Ethnic and Racial Studies28(3): 423-444 .
34.
LGA (2002) The Local Government Association’s Guidance on Community Cohesion. London: LGA .
35.
Macpherson, W. (1999) The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry: Report of an Inquiry by Sir William Macpherson of Cluny. London: The Stationery Office .
36.
McClintock, A. (1995) Imperial Leather: Race, Gender and Sexuality in the Imperial Contest. London: Routledge .
37.
McGhee, D. (2003) ‘Moving to “Our” Common Ground - a Critical Examination of Community Cohesion Discourse in Twenty-first Century Britain,’Sociological Review51(3): 376-404 .
38.
Newman, J. (2004) ‘Through Thick or Thin? The Problem of “the Social” in Societal Governance,’ Paper presented to the Contemporary Governance and the Question of the Social Conference, University of Alberta, 11-13 June [http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/ccig/ccigsubset/cciginfopops/societal_governance.pdf].
39.
Pettman, J.J. (1996) Worlding Women: A Feminist International Politics. London and New York: Routledge .
40.
Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. London: The Stationery Office.
41.
Rose, N. (1999) Powers of Freedom: Reframing Political Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press .
42.
Shukra, K. , Back, L. , Keith, M. , Khan, A. and Solomos, J. (2004) ‘Race, Social Cohesion and the Changing Politics of Citizenship,’London Review of Education2(3): 187-195 .
43.
Walker, D. (2004) ‘Everyone Agrees Community Cohesion is a Good Thing’ , Guardian, 17 November.
44.
Werbner, P. (2005) ‘The Translocation of Culture: Migration, Community, and the Force of Multiculturalism in History’, IIIS Discussion Paper No. 48 [http://www.tcd.ie/iiis/Discussion%2520Paper%2520pdfs/iiisdp48.pdf].
45.
Worley, C. (in progress) ‘Community, Policy and Identity in a Northern England Town’, PhD, University of Huddersfield .
46.
Yuval-Davis, N. and Anthias, F. (1989) Woman, Nation, State. Basingstoke: Macmillan .
47.
Yuval-Davis, N. , Anthias F. and Kofman E. (2005) ‘Secure Borders and Safe Haven and the Gendered Politics of Belonging: Beyond Social Cohesion,’Ethnic and Racial Studies28(3): 513-535 .
